More Seniors Choosing In-Home Caregiving Services

In-home caregiving services are a flexible senior care alternative preferred by a growing number of seniors. Do you know your options?

Published:Feb 25, 2014

More Seniors Choosing In-Home Caregiving Services

In-home caregiving services offer seniors an effective option for elder care that can be flexibly modified as a senior's need for in-home assistance changes.

In increasing numbers, seniors state their preference for in-home caregiving services over residential elder care alternatives such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities. When able, seniors prefer to stay in the comfort of home, maintaining as independent a lifestyle as possible. In most cases, in-home caregiving services make this feasible.

In-home caregiving services are provided by family members, volunteers, and professional caregivers - some who work independently and others through home care services or agencies like Comfort Keepers®. In many cases home care is provided through a combination of providers. For example, many family caregivers call on a professional caregiver to provide respite in-home caregiving services, enabling them to take rest breaks, go to work, or take care of other responsibilities.

In-home caregiving services can be tailored to provide the exact assistance a senior needs to continue living at home safely, happily and independently. Services can range from a few hours a week to full-time care.

In-home caregiving consists of a range of nonmedical care services. Some home care providers also offer health care services for clients who have chronic conditions such as diabetes, and some home care providers can even partner with home health care agencies to coordinate a more complete continuum of care.

The following are examples of in-home caregiving services:

Personal care services, which help seniors maintain their dignity and quality of life. Assistance with such essential daily tasks as showering or bathing, hair and skin care, feeding and special diet preparation, toileting and incontinence care, mobility and getting in and out of bed and chairs.

Companionship care, which enhances seniors' physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. Through Comfort Keepers' special brand of home care, Interactive Caregiving(TM), caregivers engage with their clients in a wide range of physical, mental and social activities that promote their overall health.

Technology services such as SafetyChoice® by Comfort Keepers. These electronic devices supplement in-home caregiving services by monitoring activities to ensure seniors' safety while they are home alone between a caregiver's visits. Examples of these devices include emergency alert monitors and medication management units, which help make sure seniors take their medication.